Update: This is the first event I’m officially hosting as one of NASA’s volunteer Solar System Ambassadors!

Well, Spirit is now a station at Troy rather than a rover somewhere south of Mars’ equator. Time to have some fun, while the drivers try to back her into the perfect parked position to get Sun on those solar panels!

Spirit Embedded at Troy

I know there’s lots of you artists out there itching to do some science illustration. We don’t have cameras that can show us what it looks like for Spirit to be stuck. Odd, isn’t it? There are what 6? 7? cameras onboard Spirit, and yet, that’s just the problem, they are all ON BOARD Spirit. We can see bits of her, but not the her whole body.

So, draw, photoshop, paint, contstruct a picture of Sprit at her new home and send it on over here.

Skill Level

This competition is for kids and adults. Entries will be divided by me into “professionalish artists” and “doodling around and having fun artists.” There will be winners in both categories. For instance, if you’re really good at photoshop, but you just do it on your own time you’ll probably get put in the “professionalish” category. If you’re 3 and just learning to hold a pencil (hopefully your parents will help you label your drawing so everyone knows what’s what) you’ll be in the “doodling around” category.

Rules

Submit digitally in a web-ready format to my e-mail address alices astro info at gmail dot com (all one word, make that at an @ etc). File should be high enough quality to print. If you’d like to submit on paper e-mail me and I’ll give you an address.

I’m making the choices. I’ll be fair.

Deadline: February 13 - Let’s put them up on Valentine’s day and show Spirit’s rover team that we love them!

Prizes?

Everyone

A copy of your picture will be displayed somewhere interesting, where lots of people can see it!

(Until i run out) – Lenticular postcards from NASA (oooh! pretty)

A digital copy will be shared with NASA to show the Spirit drivers how much we appreciate their hard work.

Featured “Winners”

(You are all winners, just for participating) but there will be one chosen from each category

A very awesome lenticular postcard from NASA.

A copy of your picture will be displayed on this blog.

Got a suggestion that would be meaningful to you and wouldn’t cost me much? I’m listening!

Liability

If you are under 18, please sign your piece with your first name only, and have your parents send me a message saying it is okay for me to post your picture and your first name.